Break the Blade (AU)
by RubyContract
Summary: In a world plagued by the mysterious entities known as the Others, humanity wages a bitter war to survive the onslaught. To fight. This is why Seraphim Academy- a prestigious school dedicated to training brave young souls to combat the threat- exists. But Honda Kiku learns that sometimes, wounds can go more than skin-deep. PrussiaxJapan, ItalyxGermany, USUK, Other pairings.
1. Nihon no Oji- Kiku Honda

_Break the Blade:_

_Nihon no Oji- Kiku Honda_

**X-x-X-x-X**

_To say that everything changed was an understatement… To say the world as they had known it had been destroyed is a more accurate description._

**X-x-X-x-X**

The pale pink petals of the cherry blossoms danced in the air before falling to earth like an aromatic snowfall. Overhead, the sun was a blazing sphere of light hovering in a white-streaked sky of eggshell blue.

Sighing, the light wind gently tussling his ebon locks, Kiku glanced upwards, surveying the baroque building before him with his brown eyes.

_So this is the place_? Adjusting his hat, Kiku set his briefcase down and opened it, rummaging through the contents. _The acceptance letter should be here somewhere…_ He withdrew a folded piece of paper and unfolded it, surveying the contents of the letter. He put it back inside the briefcase and closed it, securing the clasp with a light click.

Kiku approached the black cast-iron gates and cleared his throat. "Uhm… Hello? Can anyone open the gates please?" he called out, looking up to the sky. There was a moment's silence, then-

"Who is there?" a cool female voice enquired. Kiku startled, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Don't bother, I'm inside the building and talking through you via the transmitter," she sighed.

"Ah, my apologies," Kiku performed a brief bow, "I'm Honda Kiku, a new student here."

"Oh yeah, we were expecting you," the voice replied. "New student, eh? Let's hope you're better behaved than our current batch," she chuckled.

"Hah," Kiku smiled weakly, adjusting the brass buttons of his white shirt.

There was a loud _bzzt_, and the gates opened, groaning loudly. "I wish you the best of luck," the voice said as he stepped through the gates.

"Thank you." Kiku's words were lost in the deafening _clang!_ of the gates as they swung shut.

"Now word of wise to you newbie- don't do anything stupid and you should already be ahead of the curve here," she stated.

Kiku nodded his head, "I shall keep that in mind," and walked down the cobbled pathway to the building.

* * *

Seraphim Academy was an old and intimidating building. Brick towers soared upwards, white flags embroidered with black angel wings whipped about in the breeze, and the trees in the courtyard whispered to each other.

A chill ran through Kiku, prickling his neck. This place was special, magic- an art once long forgotten- permeated the air, protecting this establishment and concreting the school's identity as a place where fighters were trained.

Kiku grabbed the bronze knocker that adorned the heavy oakwood doors and knocked once. Silently, they opened, and quietly they closed as he stepped through them.

* * *

"Hey! Potato bastard! What the fuck happened to my books?"

Kiku's gaze shot to the source of the angry demand. A young man with dark brown hair and hazy eyes was shouting at a tall and exasperated male with slicked-back blonde hair and blue eyes, hovering nervously between them was another young man. He looked exactly like the angry one except his hair was a lighter shade of brown, his eyes were a bronze color, and his expression was nowhere near as angry. All of them were clad in the standard black uniform of the academy.

"Ah, brother, c-can't y-you please calm down? I'm sure Ludwig hasn't done anything to your books! He's not that type of guy!" he cried, wringing his hands nervously.

"Shut up, stupid!" the other man stormed, whirling to face his brother.

The blonde (most likely Ludwig, Kiku deduced) snorted and placed a hand on his head. "Are you sure you didn't leave it behind in class, Lovino? That would be most likely." He shook his head, rolling his eyes as he did so.

"Damn macho potato! Are you saying I'm a forgetful retard?" Lovino fumed and stamped his left foot against the ground.

"H-he isn't saying-"

"Shut up Feliciano!" Lovino bellowed.

Feliciano recoiled, taking a step backwards.

Grimacing, Kiku took a tentative step forward. "Excuse me," he said in the taut silence that followed.

"Huh?" Feliciano turned his attention to Kiku. "Hey, you aren't wearing the school uniform," he observed. Lovino _hmph_ed, placing his hands on his hips.

"Well, no shit. He's obviously new," he drawled.

"Congratulations, you figured out something," Ludwig retorted drily. A vivid red seeped through Lovino's face and he curled his hands into tight fists. "Be glad that Feliciano is here or I would kick the shit out of you," he grumbled.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, ignoring Lovino's statement. "Can I help you in any way?" he asked Kiku.

He nodded, "Yes, thank you," he said softly, "I'm looking for the headmaster. The letter- it said that my things would be taken care of and that I should consult the headmaster for what to do next."

Ludwig jerked his thumb towards the sweeping, velvet-covered, grand staircase at the end of the large hallway. "He's on the third floor, room 321. Make sure to knock before entering, he doesn't like to be interrupted while… nevermind. Just knock."

"Thank you very much," Kiku replied appreciatively and gave Ludwig a polite bow.

"No problem," Ludwig responded as Kiku made his way to the staircase.

* * *

While ascending the staircase, Kiku's cellphone went off. Frowning, he withdrew it from his pocket and checked the caller ID- Im Yong Soo. He sighed and answered it.

"_Ohayoo_?"

"Ah, thank goodness you picked up! Do you mind helping me out a bit? There's a bit of an emergency concerning Xiao Chun…" Yong Soo's voice came out crackly and unclear, more than likely due to the magic current in the air in this area.

"Oh dear, what happened now?" Kiku shook his head.

"The air purifier broke and you know what it's like back at home! If we don't fix it, he'll start wheezing and have an asthma attack! Not to mention he'll start complaining! Do you know how distracting it is, having him moan on and on about how he can't breathe while I'm trying to play some LoL?" Im whined.

"Can't you talk to the landlord about it? I'm sure-"

"Very funny, bro- seriously, help!"

Kiku buried his face in his right hand and sucked in his breath. "I think there should be a spare one in the supply cupboard, just take the broken one off and put the new one in the plug," he stated.

"Ok, thanks! Well, bye!" Yong Soo hung up.

Kiku sighed and pocketed his cell, pursing his lips into a thin line. _I can only imagine how Yong Soo is handling the household, but there's really no other choice… I have to move on with my life too and get a job to help support the three of us. Chun is too sickly and withdrawn to get a decent job and Yong Soo… is well… Yong Soo… he does alright with computers I suppose and his website isn't doing half-bad, but it's barely enough to cover the bills…_

Kiku paused as he entered the third floor corridor, surveying the spacious hallway with it's crystal chandeliers and old oil paintings. _So room 321, was it_? He looked at the brass plaque on the closest door.

_Room 301… It should be about ten doors down._ He walked a little down the hallway, shifting his briefcase between both hands. _So this is the famous Seraphim Academy_? he thought as he walked, _It doesn't look that bad, but for being a place that claims it's on the 'cutting edge of technology' I expected something a little more… I don't know… Futuristic_?

He paused briefly to stare outside a cavernous arched window, admiring the scenery. _Well, at least it's located in a nice area._

He continued walking down the hall, inspecting every plaque as he went. _Room 309… 311…_ He walked a little further. _315… 317… 319…_

He came to the end of the hallway, stopping in front of a pair of large rosewood doors engraved with intricate pictures. "Room 321," he read aloud, "this must be it." He raised his hand up and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

Kiku took a deep breath before replying, "I'm Honda Kiku- the new student- I believe you were expecting me- right?" he answered. There were some shuffling noises and then: "Come in."

He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, stepping inside the headmaster's office.

* * *

Lounging on a plush chair behind his desk was none other than the headmaster- a wiry middle-aged man with frazzled gray hair that stuck out in every direction and a prominent nose. "Come on in, I'm not going to bite you unless you do something stupid!" he snapped impatiently, motioning for Kiku- who stood hovering nervously in the doorway.

"Ah, my apologies, Sir," Kiku bowed.

"Take a seat, take a seat," the headmaster gestured at the pair of wooden chairs placed near the front of the room. Kiku nodded and sat down, setting his briefcase down next to him and placing his hands on his lap.

"Well, what do you know? We finally got a student who has some manners! Praise the Archlords!" The headmaster threw his hands up in the air. Kiku stared at him curiously.

"Well, that will save us some time since apparently, I won't have to give you the whole lecture about respecting me and all that lovely crap, so I'll cut to the chase. I'm Mr. Scholasticus, the head here." He got off his chair and walked over to the filing cabinets which were shoved up against the wall in the back of the room. He opened a drawer and rummaged through the files before extracting a manilla envelope and throwing it at Kiku, who deftly caught it.

"In there is everything that you need to know except which Unit you'll be in for practical lessons and field trips," Scholasticus explained as he took a seat.

Kiku raised an eyebrow, opening the envelope and withdrawing a thin packet of paper. "My… Unit?"

"Yeah, the group you'll have for your entire career here. Since you're new here, you won't be assigned a Unit right away, we need to determine if you're ready for practical missions and then fit you into a group, which is headed by an older student- may the lords have mercy on you."

Kiku nodded, flipping through the pages, "Ah, thank you for clearing that up for me."

Scholasticus dipped his head briefly and drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk. "You'll get it as you continue to stay here, it's not that hard to grasp in all reality. A bright kid like you. Who knows? If you're half as smart as you are seemingly mild-mannered, you could easily wind up a Unit leader."

Kiku smiled abashedly and bowed his head. "I'm… flattered Sir, thank you for the compliment," he mumbled.

Scholasticus snorted. "Don't be- the attitudes of some of those cheek little snots these days… Urk… Is decency dying alongside intelligence in today's youth?" he griped. "I'm forced to put idiots in charge of squads nowadays! And it's driving me insane!"

"Ah…" Kiku opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out.

"Anyways, check the packet for all the info you need, your room and schedule should be there. All your stuff should be in your assigned dormitory as well. For today, just walk around and explore the school, familiarize yourself with the environment," the headmaster said, leaning back in his chair. "You're dismissed," he added with a lazy wave towards the doors.

Kiku nodded and stood up, putting the packet back into the envelope. "Thank you once again Sir. I shall take my leave."

Scholasticus yawned, "Yeah, yeah… Whatever."

* * *

Once he had left the office, Kiku examined the packet more closely. "Ah, there…"

_Assigned dormitory: 513_

_Roommate(s): Arthur Kirkland- Second Year, Alfred F. Jones- First Year._

He shuddered as he recalled the memory of Lovino_. Hopefully, they're more polite than him. Not that I couldn't make peace and get along fairly well with them if they were, but it would make my life easier if they had some manners._ He flipped the page, looking at his schedule.

_Schedule:_

_First hour: History- Ms. Verity, Room, 308_

_Second hour: Arcane theory- Mrs. Yayoi, Room 116_

_Third hour: Practical mathematics- Mr. Clover, Room 101_

_Fourth hour: Lunch_

_Fifth hour: Practical science- Mr. Mutsuki, Room 215_

_Sixth hour: Literature- Mrs. Smith, Room 313_

_Seventh hour: Combative tactics and application- Ms. Siegheart, Room 001_

He released a soft sigh and put the packet back in the envelope._ Hmm… 001… Could that possibly be a basement of sorts? I'll ask later. Anyways, off to my dormitory._

Kiku placed the envelope in his briefcase and headed towards the stairs, clasping the briefcase's handle, tightly_. At the very least, this will be an... enlightening experience. Get outside, explore the world… Yes, that's all very good._

* * *

_Hello! It's me RC, coming out from FF retirement to write a Hetalia FF featuring my favorite pairings! Italy x Germany, USUK, Lichtenstein x Switzerland, Austria x Hungary, Romano x Spain, Prussia x Japan (I like this pairing, sue me) and so on. _

_To anyone who knows me from the Elsword archives, well... I'm sorry, but all the Elsword stories are still in a stasis crystal... I only wrote this FF after watching HetaOni and Dagantalia playthroughs, and then discovering the lovely pairing of Prussia x Japan *Fangirl squeal* and the lack of it on the Hetalia archives._

_To all the people who don't know me, please be polite, no flaming, constructive criticism is always appreciated, brace your feelz, and if you have the time, remember to R&R! :DD I hope this story was of a good quality! Hmph... Once I started writing FFs again, it's like I never stopped! Just be warned of mildly slow updates from me! OwO Ja Nee!_

_P.S. This is an AU, so the characters are not countries, just humans, ok? So that's why I'm using their human names! Can anyone guess who Li and Im are though? X3_


	2. Such Things Are Normal

_Break the Blade:_

_Such Things Are Normal_

**X-x-X-x-X**

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the window at the end of the hall. People- clad in their jet-black uniforms- milled around aimlessly, casually chattering to each other.

Pressing his lips together, Kiku scanned the hallway, taking in the finery of the area. Shimmering silk tapestries were hung on the oakwood walls and the brass nameplates gleamed in the daylight. A young woman with long caramel tresses and bright green eyes was chattering animatedly to a rather pompous-looking male with glasses and dark brown hair.

"I was hoping for a more challenging matchup Roderich, Wang's unit is a mess. I personally feel insulted," she snorted, folding her arms.

Kiku crept closer to the two, curious as to what they were talking about.

Roderich sniffed, raising his chin, and adjusted his glasses. "I would rather have to face that mess than Mei's team-"

"It was your fault we lost to them," she interrupted.

Roderich frowned and shook his head. "What else do you expect when I can't have my coffee, Elizabeta?" He shook his head at her chaffed look. "Just think of it this way, Wang's team are a bunch of training dummies for us to hone our skills on."

Elizabeta rolled her eyes and snorted. "I would rather- Huh?" She tensed up, turning in Kiku's direction.

Instinctively, Kiku took a step backwards. "Oh… please forgive me, I-"

Elizabeta chuckled, cutting him off with an airy wave of her hand. "No, no, it's alright." She stared at him for a couple of seconds.

Kiku fidgeted nervously, averting his gaze.

"You must be new here! I haven't seen you around before!" she exclaimed cheerfully and walked over to him, grabbing his arm. Kiku jerked back, ripping his arm free from her grip.

"Huh?" She tilted her head to the side, looking confused.

"Give him some space," Roderich sighed and shook his head. "Anyways, may I ask for your name?" he questioned.

Kiku's eyes snapped open wide before he performed a hasty bow. "My apologies for not introducing myself. I'm Honda Kiku; I just arrived here today."

Roderich nodded, adjusting his glasses, and exchanged a look with Elizabeta. "Very well, it's nice to meet you, Honda. I am Roderich Edelstein and this is-" he gestured towards Elizabeta- "she's Elizabeta Héderváry, a good friend of mine."

Elizabeta beamed, "We're both members of Unit Five- Silesia- actually, I'm the leader," she giggled. "I just got the leadership this year, and… I'm taking it to the top!" She punched the air enthusiastically, causing Roderich to take a quick step back.

Kiku smiled faintly, tilting his head to the side. "You must really enjoy being in a unit," he remarked casually.

Roderich chuckled, flexing his shoulders. "We get along…" he trailed off into an awkward silence.

"You get along…?" Kiku pressed, his eyes widening slightly.

Roderich shook his head, placing a hand on his face. "Fairly well…" he mumbled.

Kiku looked at Elizabeta curiously, who in turned, flexed her shoulders lazily. "Him and Vash… are fairly estranged in their friendship," she explained. "We're still more functional than half the units out there… For example, Wang's unit- Unit One- The Allies- are a mess… and don't even get me started on Ludwig's unit… those guys are the joke of the school. Their last team member… Can't remember the name-" she scratched her head- "actually _died_." Her voice was a hushed whisper and it sent chills running down Kiku's spine.

"Plus I can barely tolerate Ludwig's older brother," she continued. "He's an attention-whoring jackass with as much subtlety as a bullet train. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with him?"

Roderich pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. "Can we move along now? I'd rather not waste my time ranting about his horrendous conduct," he snipped.

Elizabeta closed her eyes and heaved a deep breath before opening them. "Sure, whatever…" She stepped back. "Anyways… How can I help you?"

Kiku grimaced and shot a look over his shoulder before answering, "Nothing, really, thank you though," he replied politely.

She bobbed her head up and down, "Oh! Well then, who are you bunking with?" she queried. Roderich's nostrils flared as he looked down at his silver wristwatch. "Eliza… if we don't hurry, someone will already be using the piano and I won't be able to practice during free perio-"

"Oh hush," she chided playfully.

Kiku rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm in room 513, my roommates are Alfred F. Jones and Arthur Kirkland."

Both of them gave Kiku a pitying look.

"Is something the matter?" Kiku's eyes snapped open wide.

"I'll put it this way," Elizabeta said after a moment of tense silence, punctuated by a monotonic note of background conversation. "Have a bottle of Advil on hand." She exchanged a look with Roderich. "Those two are a couple of idiots who argue constantly with each other, I can hear them down the hall… and… Urk… Also, Arthur might or might not be crazy. He talks to himself," she stated with a rueful smile.

Kiku's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"We wish you the best of luck," Roderich placed a hand on Elizabeta's shoulder, "now can we please go, Eliza? _Please_?"

Elizabeta nodded, "Ok, if you insist." She grabbed Roderich's hand and led him down the corridor. "Good luck Honda!" she called over her shoulder.

Kiku paled, smiling feebly at their retreating forms. _Surely… it can't be that bad… _

Unfortunately… It was.

* * *

"You bloody wanker! You gluttonous git!"

Kiku cringed, his fist hesitating in midair as he braced himself to knock on the door.

"Wha-? What the hell are you talking about Arthur?" an easygoing voice retorted.

"You twat!"

A loud crashing noise came from inside the room.

"What the fuck? That was my computer! Stop that!"

"You haven't seen anything yet, you bloody idiot! That was my entire project- that took all week- and due by tomorrow!"

A girly shriek nearly shattered Kiku's eardrums. He clapped his hands over his ears, backing away from the door.

"STOP! That's enough you ass!"

"Clear off you duffer! Get on your bike before I get any more ticked at you!"

"Drop- wait! That's my pop!"

There was a faint sloshing noise.

"You see this, you twat? Do you? I'll will tell you this- you aren't having any more because you're an arsehole."

"NO! FUCK YOU ARTHUR!"

"This will teach you to be so brainless! I wish you the best of luck in retrieving all your files, Alfred!"

There was a loud _bang! _and the door flew open, nearly smacking Kiku in the face. Out stormed a young man with messy blonde hair and abnormally thick eyebrows, looking as pissed as a person could be.

Seeing Kiku, Arthur stopped and glowered darkly at him. "May I enquire as to what you are doing, acting like a blooming nark?" he snapped.

Kiku recoiled at his hostility. _May the lords have mercy on me… _"Uh… I'm new here," he replied in a timid whisper.

"Oh, my apologies," Arthur's face softened a little. "Normally, I'm quite a gentleman but that _wanker_-" he jerked his thumb towards Alfred, who was standing in the doorframe, gaping at the two. "Got his chips all over my project before spilling his soda on it," his face twisted with disgust.

"It was an accident! Unlike-" Alfred chimed.

"Shut up!" Arthur whipped around, hollering at the top of his lungs.

Kiku deadpanned, backing away slowly. "Did, you guys get my stuff?" he enquired.

"Was your stuff in that black leather suitcase with those gold flowers on it?" Alfred responded.

Kiku grimaced as his heart sank. "Yes… why?"

"Well… the case got a bit damaged in our quarrel, but hey! I think the contents are still intact… as long as you didn't have anything made of glass, ceramic, or the like!" Alfred beamed brightly, his blue eyes shining.

"Good thing I decided against packing anything except for some manga, computer games, and boxers…" Kiku mumbled under his breath.

Arthur sighed, liberally massaging his forehead. "Honestly… He's impossible," he grumbled.

Kiku held up his briefcase, "Is it ok if I drop this off here? It's getting a bit heavy," he asked.

Arthur nodded, shooting daggers at Alfred, who merely shrugged. "Of course, just don't put it anywhere near _his_ stuff."

Kiku nodded, bowing slightly and warily went inside the dorm.

It was a war zone.

Dirty undergarments were strewn across the floor and two of the four beds were unmade while the other two looked rather rumpled. Thick, leather-bound books marked with peculiar symbols were spilling out from a bookshelf on the right, while several ragged posters of various superheroes were plastered on the wall on the left side. The desk was littered with food wrappings while the dresser had a half-full porcelain tea-cup perched on it.

Running through the middle of the room was a line of red tape, and resting on the line was a smashed up computer, smelling strongly of Mountain Dew.

Much to his relief, Kiku spotted his suitcase, and it was intact. It was on its side, but other than that, it was undisturbed. He laid his briefcase on a bed located on the left side of the room and picked up his suitcase, placing it next to the bed.

"Oh my…" Kiku shook his head, plopping down on the bed and staring out the window, with a dismayed expression.

Meanwhile, Alfred and Arthur resumed their shouting match.

* * *

In a deserted classroom- behind the cafeteria- with small windows and lots of dust, Ludwig was lecturing (or attempting to) his unit- the Axis.

"Listen up here!" Ludwig barked, slamming his hand against the whiteboard.

"Ve!" Feliciano bolted upright in his chair, slamming his knee into the underside of the table they were gathered around. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" he wailed, clutching it desperately.

Ludwig groaned, shaking his head. "Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped.

Feliciano cried harder, "Uwaah… It hurts!" he sobbed.

Lovino sighed a loud, obnoxious sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Can you shut the hell up?" he snapped.

Ludwig snapped his gaze towards him, "I would suggest that you do the same here. I'm trying to inform you of our current status! We are the bottom of the barrel!"

Gilbert- a cocky man with platinum blonde hair and red-violet eyes- drummed his fingers against the table, while a little yellow bird rested on his head. "We'll crush them- whoever they are, relax bro, the match isn't until next week. You're getting way too worked up over this, not cool."

Ludwig clenched his teeth together, jerking his gaze between the three of them sitting at the table in front of him. "If we don't win this time, it will be the twentieth time in a row that we have lost! How can you look at yourself in the mirror each day?"

Gilbert smirked, "I'm awesome, why should I be ashamed to look at my awesome self in the mirror?"

Ludwig shook his head, "Why don't you keep quiet?" he grumbled.

Gilbert chuckled, tilting his head back. "Why are you ordering me around?"

Ludwig deadpanned, crossing his arms. "Who has the job and pays the rent?"

Gilbert sighed, rolling his eyes, "Fine. I'll keep quiet for now."

A dark blue vein throbbed in Ludwig's forehead as he glared at them. Feliciano was sobbing quietly, clutching his knee cap and rocking back and forth in the chair. Lovino was glowering at him with a virulent expression, his arms shifting as he made obscene gestures underneath the table, while Gilbert was all but nodding off.

_Why, why, why? What did I do so badly to have a group this incompetent? _

"Are you guys even going to pretend you're paying attention?" Ludwig snapped.

Lovino snorted, "Why should we potato bastard? You know we don't give a damn about your fucking lecture. So why can't you just let us go instead of keeping us in a dusty classroom behind the cafeteria with small windows, like you're going to do something obscene to us? Huh?" he snarled.

"Don't be so rude!" Feliciano whimpered. Lovino shot him a withering glare, making a violent stabbing gesture with his hands. Feliciano cringed and resumed nursing his "injured" knee.

"Amazing, we're one man short and going against whoever is the victor of the Silesia vs. The Allies match- which we all know will be Silesia- and here you are, not even the least bit worried?"

"I'll just crush them all with my awesomeness," Gilbert drawled.

Ludwig glared at him, "I thought I told you to keep quiet?"

Gilbert snickered, "Kese, just saying the blatant truth, bro."

Ludwig grimaced, "Yes… I'm sure, if Elizabeta doesn't kill you first."

"Ve… I'm hungry… Can we please leave?" Feliciano mewled.

Ludwig groaned, bowing his head and staring despondently at the dusty floorboards. "Forget it… you guys… please do leave."

"Yay! Thank you!" Feliciano squealed, throwing his hands in the air. He rushed over to Ludwig and gave him a big hug. "I have leftover pasta, too! We can have a great lunch!"

Ludwig just stared bleakly into the distance.

* * *

_Hello! Sorry for the wait! Been busy and stuff! But I do want to thank everyone who has followed, faved, and reviewed my story! I promise you, a lot of things will be revealed as the story goes on, even if it seems confusing at first! :D Here's my reviewer reply! _

_Tre Corde: Thanks for telling me! I'm really not that familiar with a lot of Asian culture outside of Japan... (I know I'm horrible) Really well-appreciated! As for the Others... You'll get a good clue about them by ch4 at the latest if everything goes to plan... Heta Oni... oh mai gerd... I wish they continued it... One of the best heta games ever... The only gripe I had with it were the portraits, but once they took care of that... Flawless... and mai feelz... it'd be too awesome if somehow it got adapted into a short anime series, an OAV, or even a movie... I can dream though... hue... ;u;  
_


	3. Breakfast With Friends(?)

_Break the Blade:_

_Breakfast with friends(?)_

**X-x-X-x-X**

_I'm glad this day is over…_

**X-x-X-x-X**

* * *

The red sunlight bled into the twilight sky as it floated over the horizon, bathing the landscape with a caramelized glow.

Grumbling, Kiku turned over on his stomach, pulling the covers over his head to protect his eyes from the sun's prickling rays.

All night.

All night, Alfred and Arthur had quarrelled with each other over who was going to cover the cost of the damaged property. Alfred- insisting that since Arthur had personally smashed the device, should pay for it. The Brit- in turn- snapped at him, snarling that it was his own fault and that he should take responsibility and pay for it himself.

They did this for all night.

Keeping Kiku up all night.

"Get up you twat, it's time for breakfast," Arthur snapped, folding his arms and glaring at the drowsy Alfred.

"Ju… more… nite…" Alfred moaned, rolling over onto his side.

Arthur huffed, his nostrils flaring, and took a step closer to his roommate's bedside. His messy hair was even more disheveled and his pajamas were rumpled, but despite his sleepy and sloven appearance- Arthur was wide awake- and thoroughly annoyed.

"No, now get up you dimwit," he scowled.

Alfred snorted and curled into a ball on the bed. Sighing hopelessly, Arthur turned to Kiku, looking at the young male with an exasperated expression.

"Will you please be so kind as to get out of bed and help me throttle this bloody git?" he enquired.

Despite himself, Kiku smiled- a faint little flicker of his lips- and raised his head. "I would, but as of now- I can sympathize with his position," he replied evenly.

Arthur rolled his eyes, face palming himself. "Fine then, you two can be inane, but breakfast is in five minutes and if we aren't among the early risers- all the good food will be taken," he muttered.

Alfred gave the Brit a "thumbs-up" sign. "You do that, I'll just order some take out… Need… sleep…"

Arthur opened the closet, withdrawing a white dress shirt, ebon pants, an obsidian blazer, and a red tie with golden angel wings emblazoned on the shimmery satin. "You idiot," he murmured under his breath as he took off his pajamas and slipped into his uniform.

Once he had left the room, Kiku forced himself out of bed, rubbing his watering eyes. "I suppose I should get up, or I might be tempted to sleep all day. That would not be good," he mused as he got changed.

"Uh...huh…" Alfred grunted, turning to look at him through half-shut eyes. "Good luck, and avoid Vash and Ivan… scrap that… try to avoid half the people here, they'll take your head off," he stated sleepily as Kiku gathered his school supplies into his briefcase.

The young male paused for a brief moment, before turning to face his roommate and gave him a simple nod of his head. "I shall keep that in mind," he said as he left the room, turning the lights off.

* * *

The cafeteria was crowded and noisy. The sweet aroma of maple syrup, the crisp smell of fresh fruit, and the smoky odor of bacon and sausage permeated the room. No matter where Kiku looked, there was a table with at least three people sitting there.

_Ah… is there anyone I can sit with?_

He froze, gripping his briefcase so hard that his knuckle-bones turned white. Kiku scanned the area, trying to figure out where he should sit.

He recognized Feliciano chattering to Ludwig near the window. The brunette- lively- his mouth moving at an impossible pace while Ludwig stared out the window, looking like he'd rather be somewhere else.

Kiku pursed his lips into a thin line. _Could I-? No, they really don't know me that well… I mustn't intrude. Perhaps I could find Elizabeta and Roderich? They seemed fairly friendly. _

He spotted them at the leftmost table- bickering with a smirking, platinum-haired male who Kiku did not know. _Ah… they look rather occupied… Arthur? _

The Brit was sipping tea, his face twisted in disgust as a man with long blonde hair and blue eyes talked to him.

Kiku all but visibly wilted on the spot. It felt as if a dozen eyes were resting upon him. His face began to heat up, red seeping into his features.

"Hey, have I seen you before? I don't think I have…" a sleepy voice enquired from- much to Kiku's surprise- behind him. He startled, whirling around to face the person behind him.

A man with tousled chestnut hair, tanned skin, and heavily-lidded green eyes was staring at him with a not-unkind expression.

Kiku flamed an even brighter red, sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

"Hmm? Something wrong?" the stranger asked. "You look like you have a fever…" he remarked.

"Ah…" Kiku took a step backward. "N-no… I-I'm fine!" He performed a hasty bow. "I'm- Honda- Honda Kiku," he stuttered.

"Oh?" the stranger tilted his head to the side. "I'm Heracles Karpusi, nice to meet you Honda." He smiled- a lethargic- but warm smile. "Are you new?" he queried.

Kiku nodded, "Yes, I am new. I just arrived yesterday."

Heracles bobbed his head up and down. "Ok, then do you want to sit with me and my friends? We're a little strange, but we don't bite."

Kiku heaved a relieved sigh. "Really? That would be appreciated!" He beamed.

Heracles laughed, motioning towards a sparsely populated table. "Ok, then let's head over there. I can get you a _gyro _once we sit down and we can talk all about each other." He reached for Kiku's arm. Kiku stepped back, avoiding Heracle's hand.

"Huh?" Heracles raised his eyebrows.

Kiku fidgeted, looking to the side.

"Is something wrong?"

Kiku _hrmm_ed, tugging on his blazer's sleeves. "I-I just prefer… to- nevermind. Can we please sit down?" he mumbled.

"O...k…" Heracles yawned, ruffling his hair.

* * *

"There you are Heracles! Been worried about you!" a cheerful-looking young man, with dark brown hair with asymmetrical bangs and emerald eyes, called out to Heracles, as him and Kiku approached the table.

Heracles froze dead in his tracks, his upper lip curling back in a distasteful expression. "_What _are those _two _doing _here_, Cyrus?" he snarled, jabbing his finger at a masked man with tanned skin and dark brown hair, and his hat-wearing companion with amber eyes and olive skin.

Another man (this one wearing a snow-white keffiyeh) piped up: "Cyrus thought it would be a good idea to invite them. He said it was time we all started to get along since we all belong to the same unit."

Heracles turned his withering glare towards Cyrus, who shrank back.

"If you don't like us being here, then-" the masked man caught Kiku's eye.

Kiku hastily averted his gaze.

"Who's that?" he asked, continuing to stare at Kiku.

"Don't speak to him, Sadik!" Heracles barked, throwing an arm in front of the young male.

"You're being rather rude, you're not his boss- so don't go around acting as if you are," the amber-eyed male stated in a severe tone.

"Stay out of this Kibris," Heracles shot back. He turned to Kiku, leaning in to whisper in the young man's ear. "In a month from now, all the unitless kids will be able to pick any unit they want (and will have them) on Placement day. Please pick my unit so I can kick him-" he pointed at Sadik "-out of the team."

Kiku attempted to smile. It failed. "So you were saying something about a _gyro_?" he queried, attempting to change the topic.

Heracles jerked his head upwards, as if startled. "Oh yeah…" He gestured at the platters of food that the table was laden with: _gyros _stuffed with tender beef, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes, and slathered with _tzatziki_- cucumber sauce; steaming _moussaka_, and _tiropites_ all but bursting open at the seams from the cheeses packed into it.

Seeing the food, Kiku raised his eyebrows. "Oh, this is food from the Mediterranean region… Are you-"

Heracles nodded his head, "Yeah- we all are here. I came here as an exchange student three years ago," he answered- sitting down and shoveling a sizeable portion of _pastitsio_- a dish akin to lasagna except it used _bechamel _sauce in lieu of cheese- onto his plate. "I can guess you're from the Orient- no?"

Kiku smiled, taking a seat next to the green-eyed brunette. "Yes, I'm surprised no one has remarked on it- wait, perhaps I shouldn't be," he mused.

Heracles smiled cheekily and shook his head, gesturing at the food. "No, you really shouldn't be. We get so many ethnicities here. See this food? The kitchen here will cook whatever dishes you request. That's how prepared they are for the different groups of students that reside here."

Kiku took a deep breath and adjusted his tie, sitting down next to Heracles. "That's very nice; I have no clue what to eat he-"

"Try some of this! It's really good food!" Sadik exclaimed, holding up a slice of flatbread covered in minced meat, sliced tomatoes, and onions, with a garnish of basil leaves. He held it out towards Kiku, who smiled softly and reached out to take it, but his arm was knocked back by Heracles.

"You don't want to eat that," the brunette sighed, exchanging a malevolent glare with the masked man. "It's just a rip-off pizza without any tomato sauce." He turned to face Sadik and grabbed his arm. "Now why don't you stop shoving food in other peoples' faces?" he growled.

The masked man snorted and jerked backwards before leaning forwards and slamming his hand into Heracles's forehead.

The brunette yelped and rubbed his head, glowering acerbically at Sadik.

"C-can't we get- a-alo-" Cyrus began.

Heracles lunged at Sadik, knocking aside half a dozen plates in the process.

Kiku cried out as the _tzatziki_ landed on his lap, splattering his blazer and pants.

Heracles's and Sadik's head snapped towards him; Heracles's eyes wide with dismay.

"I'm so sorry, Kiku!" he apologized, letting go of Sadik's shoulders. "See what you do?" he spat, turning his attention back to Sadik while Kiku wiped off what he could with a linen napkin.

Sadik huffed indignantly, gesturing towards Kiku. "Me? I wasn't the one that lunged across the table like a chimp pursuing his banana!" he shot back.

Kiku clenched his teeth together as he put the soiled napkin back on the table and reached for another. Why did he have to be present when pandemonium was about to break out? Heaven forbid that he should have an extended period of peace.

"I need to go to the bathroom to get the rest of this out before it stains," he announced, standing up. Instantly, Heracles and Sadik shot up.

"Let me show you where it is!" they both offered.

Kiku shook his head, holding his hands out. "No, you two stay here. I need to go and prepare some stuff for my first class anyways," he lied. There was no need to get anything ready, he had it all sorted out last night. But if he spent so much as a second longer-

"It's near the cafeteria entrance," Cyrus informed, never taking his eyes off as Heracles and Sadik as they bickered with one another. Kiku nodded wordlessly, his face an expressionless mask as he stepped back from the table.

"Thank you," he said and left for the restroom.

* * *

The bathroom was chilly, but quiet. When Kiku closed the door behind him, it sounded like a thunder's roar, echoing off the marble floors and the mocha-brown walls. Walking towards the sink, he glimpsed down at his uniform- the _tzatziki _begin to crust over and resemble pale green bird droppings. He sighed, reaching for the paper towel in the wicker basket, and turned on the faucet, wetting the towel.

Kiku grimaced as he vigorously rubbed the dirtied fabric. It _seemed_ to be getting a little better. He would probably have to take it to the laundry room to get it cleaned properly.

The door groaned open behind him, swinging shut with that same thunderous _thwam! _that made Kiku flinch.

"Hmm… Huh?"

Kiku's head shot up, his gaze landing on the mirror. "Y-you!" he sucked in his breath, the hand clenching the paper towel- tightening- wadding it into a little ball.

A girlish male with golden brown eyes and long black hair tied back into a low-hanging ponytail, glared at Kiku- his expression one of guarded hostility.

"Honda Kiku… I didn't expect you to be here," he remarked.

Kiku smiled bitterly at him, chucking the wadded ball of paper towel into the trash can, and turned around to face him. "Wang Yao… I'm equally surprised. I thought you'd be back in Canton- running your family's estate."

Yao scowled, his face darkening. "You know full well that couldn't happen, especially not after what you did. My family lost everything because of you."

Kiku snorted, furrowing his brow. "Your father-"

"Dammit Kiku!" Yao snarled, slamming his fist back against the wall. "You could've just went out and said it! Instead of sneaking around behind our-"

"What would've changed if I told you?" Kiku enquired in a brittle tenor.

There was a sharp intake of breath before he opened his mouth to speak: "I could've done something about it!" Yao cried.

Kiku narrowed his eyes, "What could you have done- assuming that you believed me?" he pressed.

Yao growled, bowing his head. "I don't know! Something! We could've sent him to an institu-"

Kiku's face twisted with disgust. "_You _really _think _an _institution _would _take care of that man_?" It was all he could do to prevent himself from screaming and completely losing control over himself.

Yao's expression turned desperate. "You don't understand, Kiku! He was _sick_!" His voice was almost pleading. For a moment- Kiku was almost sorry for him. _But what his father did… _His expression hardened.

"He wasn't sick- at least not in the way you mean," snapped Kiku, "_sick_ people don't know better. He knew what he was-"

"You still didn't have to betray us like that! After we took you and the-" Yao began- but was cut off by a frigid glare from Kiku.

"You people had it coming," said Kiku in a frosty tone.

"You ruined more lives that that of the man who-"

Once again, Kiku interrupted Yao. "You people are just as guilty."

Yao's eyes widened. "I had no idea! You-"

"_Ja nee…_" whispered Kiku and walked past Yao, out of the bathroom and away from the cafeteria- towards the staircase. A single tear welled up in the corner of his left eye as he traveled down the corridor. He wiped it away with his damp sleeve.

* * *

_Why? Why? Why did he have to be here? And what does he mean "I knew full well it couldn't happen"? It's not like I took everything. Just enough to pay off my debts so I could get away from that man… _ Kiku shuddered.

"Honda Kiku?" a crisp female voice called out.

He paused and looked up from the carpet. A well-dressed woman with blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun and grey eyes framed by tortoiseshell glasses stood in the hallway, staring expectantly at him with a clipboard in her hands.

Kiku bowed, taking a deep breath to compose himself: "I don't believe I know who you are, could you please tell me your name?"

The woman's eyes widened. "Didn't the headmaster tell you about the _AP _ _Testing_?" She sounded genuinely confused.

Kiku tilted his head to the side. "What testing?" he queried politely.

The woman groaned. "Unbelievable…" She adjusted her clipboard. "The irresponsibility of people nowadays…" she shook her head.

Kiku remained silent, letting the woman ramble on, underneath her breath.

"I'm Miss Eryllwe- the head of the _Alia Praevaricator _research department. I'm here to take you to the Testing Center to determine what type your _AP _is and see if you can summon it without an _Amplifier_."

Kiku nodded, inwardly cursing himself for being so thick. Of course! The _Alia Praevaricator _(commonly referred to as _AP _for short) were important. They were the only weapon known to man capable of killing the _Others_. Kiku had wondered about them on the journey- and how he was going to obtain one, and what type it would be. Some people were able to summon their _AP _naturally- but they were few and far between, and as far as Kiku knew- he had no such natural talent.

"Of course ma'am," Kiku bowed his head- relieved at the distraction the _AP_s would provide him. He needed it.

"Right this way, Mister Honda- _Room 000_ is our destination," Eryllwe stated, pointing down the hall.

Kiku hesitated for a brief moment before continuing down the hall, in the direction that the researcher was pointing. Eryllwe followed him, eyeing the moist spots on his uniform.

"May I ask whatever happened to your outfit, Mister Honda?" she asked.

Kiku let out a humorless bark of laughter. "It's a long story."

* * *

_And that concludes ch3 of Break the Blade! This was a relatively faster update- and a decent length too! I want to thank my 2 reviewers and the people who pressed the fav/ follow button for my story! I know that PruPan isn't the most popular pairing out there, but to fellow PruPan shippers… Here's a hug! And to all the non-PruPan shippers… thanks for taking the time to read this story!_

_Speaking of PruPan… I know you're going "WTF?" at the scene with Greece… but I like to ease into things. Kiku is allowed to have other friends, right? And while GiriPan isn't my favorite ship, I love the two together as good friends! :D _

_But yup! There is some drama this chapter and be expecting some excitement to go down in future chapters! What is Kiku's relationship to Yao? What exactly are these Others? Is it coincidence that AP Testing and A.P. Testing sound exactly the same? (It is by the way) Did Egypt actually speak? And is he going to speak ever again? All that to be revealed in future chapters! _

_Characters in this chapter who you may not know:_

_Cyrus= Cyprus_

_Sadik= Turkey_

_Kibris= Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus_

_Egypt_

_(Cyprus and TRNC don't have human names so I had to pull some out of my arse… Sorry if they were bad ;u;)_

_On to reviewer replies!_

_Guest: XD Yup! This school is wacked! And it will only get crazier as well!_

_Wanderingcourier: Fellow Prupan shipper! YES! (The Prupan club is officially up to 5 people now… XD) Yeah… I am really flowery… I used to be really bad with my flowery language as well… I've toned down quite a bit, but thanks for pointing out how it can seem awkward. I can see where you're coming from… You're playing a JRPG and all the sudden "(Fancy word is said by the hero)" and you're going… "Huh?" I never really thought of my stories playing out like a JRPG, but I've played so many that I shouldn't be surprised. As for my characterizations… Thanks! And don't worry, Alfred and Arthur's interactions will be a bit toned down… I was derping when I wrote ch2. But here is another chapter! ;3_


	4. Alia Praevaricator

_Break the Blade:_

_Alia Praevaricator_

**X-x-X-x-X**

_Your most important memory isn't always your happiest one…_

**X-x-X-x-X**

Level zero- the basement- of Seraphim Academy was a stark contrast from the Victorian feel of the building. Harsh fluorescent lights glared down from the ceiling and the floors were pitch-black. Titanium doors bereft of decoration gleamed and the air had the faintest tinge of ozone.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Kiku was able to decipher the _whirr _of machines and the _bzzt _of electricity- barely audible over the _cla-clack _of footsteps as the two walked down the hall.

"This place… is quite-" Kiku began. Eryllwe turned around and gave the man a slight smile.

"Different?" she finished, looking rather amused.

Kiku nodded. "Yes, this building- it has such an antiquated feel to it. Is there a reason for such a stark contrast?"

Eryllwe _hrrmed_, tilting her head to the side, and adjusted her glasses. "Well… this building used to be a European Lord's manse until the Year of Vermillion- in which- he died. I don't exactly know why they kept the Victorian style. Perhaps it has something to do with personal taste? Either way- the military needed recruits, so they provided the academy with the necessary equipment, but as it turned out- old-timey furnishings and modern-era military tech don't mix. So, they had to completely renovate the basement to make it suitable for the _AP Testing _and combat training." Her gazed lingered on the door to her right- staring at the warped visage the smooth polished metal threw back at her.

"Ah, so this is where I'll be doing practical exercises? And something about Unit Battles?" Kiku enquired curiously. Eryllwe sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh yes… Unit Battles- the most chaotic thing about this school," she frowned- her upper lip curling back in disgust. "They're supposed to encourage cooperation and tactical planning, as well as be a fun diversion for the students, but- it just breeds hostility. If everyone would throw away their pride, perhaps the Battles would serve their intended purpose, but as of now- it's just a way for the participants to feed their egos."

They continued walking down the hall, Eryllwe ranting about how _stupid _the Battles were, and how they were undermining the trainees abilities to cooperate with each other.

"...Battles weren't even the original purpose of the Units in the first place! They were for practical missions outside of the school, but-"

"What happened?" Kiku stared at the researcher. Eryllwe heaved a noisy breath and rumpled her hair- mussing her otherwise impeccable hair.

"It was horrific…" she whispered- her expression turning grim. "Ten years ago, three Units were ambushed by a particularly nasty _Other_. There were no survivors." She bit her bottom lip. "All that remained of the fifteen was a bloody husk- devoid of any internal organs- and their faces… they were so terribly mutilated that we had trouble identifying which student was which. To this day, we're completely unsure if we even gave the right bodies back to their respective family."

Kiku paled, shuddering at the thought of having his guts ripped out and his face mutilated. He scanned the area- looking for an excuse to change the topic. "Ah, is that _Room 000_?" he asked- pointing at a simple steel placard next to a heavyset pair of double doors.

The researcher's eyes snapped open wide, as if awakening from a trance. "Hnn?" she mumbled, straightening her glasses. Kiku gave her a worried look. Seeing it, she shook her head. "No- I mean yes- that's _Room 000_," she sighed, liberally massaging her forehead.

"Are you alright ma'am?" Kiku leaned forward a bit.

Eryllwe snorted and stepped forward, punching in a code on the keypad below the placard. "Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern, though."

The doors split apart with an agonized groan, revealing a stark white room void of any furnishings, save for a large black magic circle of sorts with gold rimming, a desk, which was host to numerous computer monitors, and another set of doors (these ones the same obsidian color as the circle).

"This here is the Testing Center, probably the most important room in this entire building- even if you only go in here once. From here, you will know what your _AP _is, its strength, and its type." Eryllwe stepped inside, after a hesitant second- Kiku followed her in. The doors squealed behind them, making the young man flinch as they collided shut with a _thwam! _

"...Each _AP _is unique to the person who summons it, even if they appear the same." Eryllwe walked over to the desk and sat down- typing something on the keyboard. The monitors flickered, beeping as the woke up. "For instance- two people can have an _AP _which would fall under the _Gunner_ class- a good example would be Lovino Vargas and Vash Zwingli," she continued- staring up at the monitors as a string of numbers and schizoid lines of color ran across the display.

"Vargas's and Zwingli's default for their _AP _is a sniper rifle of sorts- but the powers their _AP _have are completely different. Zwingli is able to morph his _AP _into various forms of heavy artillery and generate a force field which neutralizes any attacks inside of it, while Vargas's _AP _enables him to teleport, allowing him to escape hairy situations, and can launch explosive tomatoes- which is quite hilarious to be honest. Do you see what I mean?" Eryllwe's gaze snapped straight to Kiku, who nodded quickly.

"Ok, good," Eryllwe nodded approvingly and pushed a few more keys. The magic circle started to glow, a deep _hum _pervaded the air, rattling Kiku and making his teeth chatter. The researcher stared at him. "I have the _Analyzer _started- now step into the circle."

Kiku nodded and breathed in deeply, stepping into the glowing ring. The light flared, washing away his vision in a flash of black and gold, and leaving him trapped in a pulsating vortex.

"Can you still here me?" Eryllwe called out to him.

_That's strange… why does she sound so far away? _Kiku wondered. "Yes, though barely," he replied.

"Ok, now- you will be experiencing some weird stuff, try not to freak out now."

Kiku nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Then, I'll be turning the _Analyzer _on to full power. Brace yourself."

The light flared again- blinding Kiku as the floor seemingly gave way. For a brief moment- he was falling, and then- there was weightlessness. He was floating backwards, but to where?

_He was huddled underneath a cherry tree- sobbing into the sleeves of his white yukata- feeling as if he was about to throw up. He was sick of it. It was undeniably cruel. _

"_Kiku? What is the matter?" a worried voice reached out to him. _

_Kiku raised his head, his brown eyes shining and rimmed with tears. Sniffling, he brushed them away and forced a weak grin on his face. "Yao, what are you doing here?"_

_Yao approached the young boy, bending over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Never Mind that, what is upsetting you?" _

_A breeze danced by, ruffling the two boys' ebon locks and taking a couple cherry blossoms from their branch. Pale pink and graceful- they floated to the ground. _

_Kiku shook his head, gently removing the older kid's hand from his shoulder. "I-it's nothing…" _

_Yao frowned- his expression turning stern. "Did Yong Soo say something insensitive to you? Have the other servants' kids been picking on you? If so- I'll-"_

_Kiku hastily shook his head, throwing his hands out in front of him. "No! It's fine! Yong Soo didn't do anything! I-" he bit his bottom lip, looking away from the older kid. Yao furrowed his brow, frowning at the young child. _

"_Then what happened?" _

_Kiku muttered an incomprehensible phrase, burying his face in his arms. Yao frowned, his eyes wide, and sat down next to the younger boy. "If there is something wrong, you can tell me. You can tell me anything, Kiku. We're friends, right?" _

_Kiku looked away from Yao, tugging on his sleeves. "I'm fine, I just watched a movie- and it was really sad… and here I am bawling like a little kid over it." He smiled weakly, his face red and streaked with tears. Yao stared dubiously at the younger boy._

"_Truly?"_

_Kiku nodded fervidly, "Yes! I can't remember what it was- but there was this little girl with cancer-"_

_Yao sighed, shaking his head and patted Kiku's back. "Why are you watching really sad movies, dummy?" _

_Kiku bowed his head, his face hidden behind his bangs. "They just remind me… that I don't have it so bad. After my parents death- and the loss of everything I owned- I-"_

_Yao embraced him in a big hug, stunning the younger boy into silence, "It's going to be f-". Kiku squirmed, tearing himself away from Yao. "Kiku?" The older boy's expression was shocked._

"_Please! I do not need to be comforted like a child! So if you'd please- don't touch me so casually!" he cried and stood up, bolting away from the bewildered Yao…_

A shock of red exploded in the back of Kiku's eyes, snapping him back to reality. With a startled yelp, he collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Eryllwe called out alarmedly.

"Ngh.." Kiku mumbled weakly, his eyelids fluttering. He looked around him- feelingdazed. "What… happened?" he croaked, struggling to push himself off the ground.

Eryllwe rushed over to him, lifting the young man up and propping him against the wall. "You were screaming something terrible," she stated as she dusted Kiku's sleeves- only to be pushed away.

"I can take care of it myself- thank you for the consideration," Kiku snapped- instantly regretting his frigid response. _She was just trying to help… _

The researcher huffed and took a step back. "Very well," she replied with the same brittleness. Kiku sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"What was I screaming about?" he asked after a taut moment of heavy silence.

Eryllwe stared curiously at him. "I couldn't make it out- but it was something horrid by the sounds of it. I was about ready to cut off the _Analyzer_. No students that I recall had such an adverse reaction to the process."

Kiku turned red, feeling ashamed at how he fell apart. "Ah… I'm so-"

Eryllwe shook her head, "Don't be. You managed to complete the entire test, and I was able to get all the data about your _AP_. You should be proud- it's a pretty good one too- even though it's not one you can summon naturally." She motioned towards the computers, "Come and I'll show you it."

The young man followed her- staring intently at the monitors as the researcher sat down and uttered several rapid-fire sentences under her breath. "Let's see…" She punched a couple keys. The monitors shifted- changing from a meaningless string of numbers and symbols to a picture of an elegant _katana_ with a list of stats next to it.

_Ame-no-Murakumo-noTsurugi _

_Class: Blader_

_Type: Magic_

_Orientation: Offensive_

_Range: Medium_

_Power: B_

_Resistance: S_

_Speed: A_

_Defense: E_

Kiku paled upon seeing the "E". "Why is my defense stat so low?" he enquired worriedly to Eryllwe, who smirked and waved him off.

"That's a common stat for offense-oriented _AP_s to have. Don't sweat the small stuff. Besides- you have a medium range. That's a pretty rare occurrence for the _Blader _class of _AP_s. I wonder what its attacks are?" She pushed a couple more keys.

Kiku furrowed his brow. "Attacks?" he muttered under his breath, "Is this an RPG or something?"

The screens flickered- bringing up another list. "Aha! Here we go!" Eryllwe announce triumphantly and scooted out of the way. Interested, Kiku leaned forward a bit.

_Abilities:_

_Kusanagi- emits a crescent shaped shock wave of wind. Low power but high speed. _

_Harae- fast AOE burst. Short range, medium power, and high speed. Dispels any negative status effects. _

Kiku had to shake his head at that. _This could be straight from a game! _he thought ruefully and continued to read.

_Misogi- a circle of holy water surrounds the user, purging any negative status effects and cutting anything caught in the attack. High speed and low power. _

_Ofuda- Creates an Ofuda talisman for the user. The talisman will stun anyone struck by it. _

_Hamaya- Throws an arrow-shaped beam of energy. High power, but has to be charged before use. _

_Inuhariko- Summons several dog spirits to attack the enemy and ward off evil. Medium power and high speed._

_Imi- Seals and protects an object. Anyone that attempts to touch the object will be damaged. Low power. _

"W...o...w…" Kiku trailed, staring at the screens with a deadpan expression. Eryllwe beamed, looking exuberant.

"You have a lot of purification spells. That's something that is normally seen with a _Priest_ class _AP _user." Eryllwe frowned pensively and tapped her chin. "You could've just as easily been _Special_- oriented as well. Suppose you had too many attacks though for you to go that way," she shrugged.

Kiku grimaced. _Purification… how ironic…_

"Anyways, now that is said and done- I'm going to get you an _Amplifier_ and we'll give summoning it a try," the researcher announced and walked over to the set of black doors, opening them via a keycode and stepping inside.

Curious, Kiku walked over to the doors and peeked inside. Inside were shelves, shelves, and more shelves- all piled with stacks of delicate silver bracelets engraved with strange symbols. "Yeah, I know- it's a let down," Eryllwe said- startling Kiku. The young man uttered a hurried apology and stepped back.

"Don't be sorry- you're not the first to be curious as to what's in here. Seriously, we have such a complicated passcode for this, so surely you expect to see something fantastical and eye-dazzling. And while _Amplifiers _are incredible- they're not much to look at. Probably to prevent some common cut-throat from stealing them and pawning them off on the black market." She handed a bracelet to the young man. "It'd be hell if these were used by the wrong people- a tragedy even worse than World War II- about as bad as the Year of Vermillion, I'd dare say."

Kiku nodded wordlessly and held the _Amplifier _up for close inspection. Other than the intricate markings- it was rather quiet and unremarkable. Seeing him, Eryllwe nodded and motioned for the young man to put it on.

He slipped it on- the metal cold against his skin. An electric current ran through him- making the young man shudder. Something pure and sweet danced on his tongue- the taste of fresh mountain water.

"You just have to say the name, and the rest is history," the researcher stated- looking at Kiku with an eager- almost hungry- expression in her eyes.

Kiku nodded, feeling queasy, and inhaled deeply. "_Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi_," he whispered. The _Amplifier _glowed, emitting a searing heat. Kiku cried out, clutching at his wrist as a brilliant golden light swirled around him, petal-shaped particles of the citron energy tumbling around like cherry blossom petals caught up in a tumultuous breeze. The _Katana _rose from the ground, hovering in front of Kiku who- after a brief moment of hesitation- took it in his hands.

The radiance surrounding the young man died down. Ignoring the throbbing of his wrist, Kiku swung the blade experimentally, amazed at how natural it felt. It didn't feel like he was swinging a sword at all. Light and razor-sharp, the blade sang as it slashed the air.

Eryllwe applauded. "And that was such an exquisite summoning as well!" she remarked. Kiku stared curiously at her. The researcher chuckled and shook her head. "You do know each _AP _is different for each person, yes?"

Kiku raised his eyebrows, "Yes- you just told me." The researcher nodded and folded her arms.

"So, it would make sense if each summoning was different as well, no?"

"Ooh," Kiku's eyes widened. _That does make sense… _He held the gleaming _katana _up- the white silk wrapped around the hilt shimmering in the lights. "How do I unsummon this?" he asked, tilting the blade to the side.

Eryllwe _hrrmed_, "Just say the _AP _name one more time and add 'return'," she explained.

Kiku smirked, "And let me guess… To use any of my _AP_'s abilities- I just have to say the name?"

The researcher laughed. "You catch on quick, don't you?"

Kiku chortled softly, "_Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi_, return." The blade dissolved into a stream of golden particles that floated away before fading into nothingness.

"Anyways, you can leave now. Goodness knows just how much you've missed already on your first day! I have to add this _AP _to the database myself!" Eryllwe exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Kiku nodded and with a polite bow and a final "Thank you ma'am," left the room.

* * *

A hot blast of pain exploded in Kiku's left eye once he left the room. Screaming- he collapsed to his knees. _WHAT IS THIS?_

"_Do you really think you're doing anything good?" a young man with red eyes and messy white hair- not much older than Kiku- demanded vehemently. A cold breeze whipped through the room- rustling the billowing white cloak he wore. _

_Standing across from him was another young man- this one dressed in a black military uniform which reminded Kiku of the one his father wore- frowned. His crimson eyes glinted dangerously as he replied back in a severe tone, "I'm doing the best anyone could do in this situation." He pointed at the cross-shaped scar on the man's cheek. "Do you realize the price you pay? And the others? It killed Feliciano to save everyone else. You should remember it vividly though, that scar-"_

"_Shut up!" the other man shouted. "Do you realize what you're doing? I'd suffer a thousand times more if it would stop this madness! There is hope! Not everyone is destined to die! You've got to believe me Ki-"_

"_Do you have the Yasakani?" the one dressed in black snapped back. The cloaked man was silent. "I thought not… Do you even have possession of the Ave Maria, anymore?" _

"_I do…" the albino replied coolly. "As long as I have that- you cannot use the God's Eye… Dammit! Do you realize the price that using the Yasakani is costing you? You've barely used it's powers and it's driving you crazy! Do you think the others would want you to drive yourself insane in hopes of creating this Porzellan world you dream of?" _

_The other man smirked, "Porzellan- porcelain… You make it sound so fragile-"_

"_BECAUSE IT IS!" the cloaked man roared._

"_I just want everyone to be happy… You won't be able to stop me. You never find out until it's too late… Do you really think the Others… are going to leave us alone? They hope to…" _

_The rest faded into silence._

Retching, Kiku placed a hand over his eye- his mind whirling. _Doesn't that man… look vaguely familiar? And the one in black… Why does… ack! _Another needle of pain stabbed at his eyes. Something warm and sticky dribbled down his cheek. A coppery smell pervaded his sense of smell- making the young man dizzy. Dazed- he uncovered his eye and stared at his hand.

_It was slick and shining with blood_.

* * *

Sighing, Arthur scribbled down some more notes- trying hard to ignore the person behind him. Francis "the arse" Bonnefoy. Why did he have to get stuck right in front of him? It was bad enough he had to share a room with Alfred.

"Oi, Artie…" Francis whispered.

Arthur seethed and looked up from his notebook, asserting every ounce of self-control he had to ignore this man. In front of the classroom, the teacher was droning on and on about the practical application of runes in military technology and making notes on the whiteboard- completely oblivious.

"_Hé_, can I borrow a pencil?" Francis continued. "Mine just broke, _comment tragique_," he sighed.

Arthur's upper lip curled back, he turned to face the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man. "After you insulted me yesterday, made an inappropriate comment about my physical build, and the way you keep babbling on in your native language? You're lucky I didn't rip your scruffy stubble right off your chin, you wanker!" he hissed acerbically.

Francis assumed a look of wide-eyed innocence, "_Vous êtestrès désagréable_."

Arthur growled, "That is exactly what I- aaah!" His _Amplifier _emitted a scorching wave of heat, searing his wrist.

"Arthur Kirkland! What are you doing?" the teacher snapped, whirling around to face the class.

"Tch!" Arthur gripped his wrist, effectively scorching his palm. _What the hell is this? _

"Mister Kirkland! I asked you what you were doing!" the teacher stormed. Arthur opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out.

Blood did.

"_Mon dieu!_" Francis yelped, scooting backwards as the Brit puked up a pool of blood.

"_Hey… Hey… Hey Arthur…" Alfred's voice called out to him. "Do you realize what you did?"_

"_Ah… I…" Arthur attempted to reply back._

"_It's your fault that he died…"_

A fresh wave of crimson splattered his trousers.

"_Why did you do it? Did I hurt you that badly, Arthur?"_

"_I… I.. didn't know! I…"_

"_Lili hates you now…"_

He passed out, tumbling through an endless abyss.

* * *

_And here's an update for Break the Blade! :D Stuff is beginning to happen! What is up with Arthur and Kiku? Hmm? Ah, I can't tell you… but there is something special going on! _

_Lol… All my RPG references… I'm a hardcore RPG nut. I apologize… XD _

_Translation notes : (I didn't intend to add different languages, but considering the cast… I think I do need it occasionally… plus it suits Francis… randomly flaunting his native culture X3 I apologize in advance for Google Translate)_

_Hé- Hey_

_Comment tragique- how tragic_

_Vous êtestrès désagréable- You're very unpleasant._

_Mon dieu!- My god. _

_So yeah… After getting addicted to HetaQuest, playing around with a bunch of stories, and that stuff… I finally produced ch4 for you guys! The world needs more PruPan! Actually… Almost any pairing with Prussia is cute (Except my eye twitches when I see PruHun and I never really got into PruCan, still… We all have our own ships! :D) On to reviewer replies! _

_X. .Shipper.x.X - Indeed! The world needs more PruPan! (The lack of PruPan on FF is sad really… Thankfully, Tumblr has some nice PruPan pictures… turns out, it's pretty popular in Japan :D) And thanks!_

_Tre Corde- Of course they would… Considering their actual history together, it makes sense, right? Kiku… well… Let's just say… Kiku is one of the most sad, desperate, and tragic characters in this story… He has issues O3O Lol… I KNEW somebody had to comment on the AP Testing XD. Alia Praevaricator can roughly translate into "Other Breaker" in Latin (IF Google translate is accurate) I'm really derp in coming up with fancy names- so mythology and Google translate are my two best friends XD _


	5. A Needed Friend

_Break the Blade:_

_A Needed Friend_

**X-x-X-x-X**

Gasping, his blood-soaked hand trembling, Kiku staggered to his feet, furiously rubbing his eye. It throbbed with a mind-numbing pain, his red-tinged vision pulsating like a human heart. _I need to, I need to do something! _he thought frantically, whipping his head around the corridor. _But… where is the infirmary? _The young male scanned the corridor, but no one was around.

_Perhaps, Miss Eryllwe_… He turned around and pressed against the door, but it did not budge. Kiku frowned, wincing as another painful needle stabbed the back of his eye. _Well, that's great_. He hissed softly, clasping his hand over his eye, and hobbled down the corridor.

A bathroom plaque jumped right out in front of his vision- a calling card, luring him inside. Kiku grimaced. _I could try to at least wipe off some of the blood and see exactly what's going on. Who knows? There could be someone in there_. He pressed his shoulder against the bathroom, stepping inside.

Like the rest of the basement, this bathroom was all cold steel and stark linoleum- bereft of any warm coloring or anything resembling organic materials. Kiku winced as the bright fluorescents slashed his ailing eye and stumbled over to the sink, planting his knuckles on the white granite surface. He looked up, at the mirror.

A startled cry escaped him. Kiku staggered backwards, reeling at the sight of his reflection.

Half his face was smeared with blood, his left eye- a vivid crimson, which slowly darkened, fading to brown. _What is going on? _He panicked, pressing himself against a bathroom stall. At a leisurely pace, the last traces of the bloody-scarlet left Kiku's iris, returning it to gradient brown. Kiku heaved a deep breath and slumped down to the ground, shuddering.

He thought of the black-clad man in his vision. A lump swelled in the young man's throat. _He looked exactly like me, except for his eyes… they were crimson. _He clapped his non-bloody hand over his mouth. The same vivid red his eye became. _Was that a vision of the future? If so… what did it mean? Who- no… I'm being irrational, there is no way. I've never had any psychic powers beforehand, and if it was an AP of sorts, Miss Eryllwe would've brought it up. _

He warily approached the mirror, staring at his own reflection as if it was a stranger. _Since it's not either of those_- he turned on the sink and pumped a generous amount of soap for him- _it must be a medical condition_. He began to wash his hands, scrubbing furiously to get all the blood off. _Yes, it must be some rare medical condition. There's a disease for everything. In fact, I think I've heard of a condition that causes the victim's eyes to bleed. _He grabbed some paper towel from the automatic dispenser and wiped his face off. _It's very rare, but it's_-

Kiku froze. He furrowed his brow. _But, there's no mention of any alterations to the eye pigmentation. _The young male shook his head, throwing the sheet into the trash can. _What is going on? _Kiku sighed and shook his head, starting towards the door.

It swung open just as he reached out, his fingertips brushing the metal.

"Huh?" Heracles stood in the doorway, his head tilted to the side. Seeing Kiku, he broke out into an exuberant smile. "Oh! It's you!" he exclaimed. Kiku smiled weakly and looked away from the brunette. "Why aren't you in class?" Heracles continued, his tone becoming curious.

Kiku blazed, _That's right! I believe I was supposed to go straight to my classes afterwards! _With a sheepish expression, he directed his gaze to the brunette, placing his hands behind his back. Heracles chuckled, hiding it behind a graceful, yet solid, hand.

"You're not skipping are you?"

The young man's jaw dropped, "What?" He stared with disbelief at Heracles. "I would never-"

Heracles cut him off with an airy wave. "Don't worry, I'm not going to judge." His voice dropped to a whisper, "As a matter of fact- I'm skipping too. Sadik sits right next to me and I already got into some pretty deep shit with the teacher for fighting in class." Kiku simply nodded and stole a hasty glance at himself in the mirror.

Heracles chortled lowly, "What'cha looking at?" he enquired.

Kiku's eyes snapped open wide, he shot his attention back to the brunette. _How to explain this? _"Well... I, uh-"

Heracles sighed, not unkindly, and stifled a loud yawn."You… don't need, to… explain," he said while stretching out his arms. Kiku opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Actually, would you like to come with me to my dorm?" Heracles asked, tousling his natty hair. Kiku sucked in his cheeks, taking a step backward.

"Well- uh…"

"You don't have to if you don't want to, no pressure. I'm not trying to be a creep or anything," Heracles smiled, leaning casually against the wall. Hastily, Kiku shook his head, throwing his arms out in front of him.

"Ah! No-it's! I-I'll come!" he exclaimed hastily, appearing more than a bit frazzled. Heracles let out a hearty laugh and turned around, stepping out into the hallway, and propping the door open for Kiku.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it, it's all cool," he stated in a calming tone as Kiku stepped out of the bathroom, looking rather anxious.

Kiku sighed, shaking his head exasperatedly. "It's… just… I've never really had any good people skills, and I never was one to make friends easily, and, uh-" Heracles hid a wide grin behind both of his hands.

"In short, you're socially awkward?"

Kiku hung his head, rubbing the back of his neck with a rueful expression. "Something like that, yes…"

**X-x-X-x-X**

"So, what were you doing beforehand anyways?" Heracles enquired over his shoulder as the two walked up the stairs. Kiku shook his head, unconsciously placing a hand over his left eye. He winced as a dull edge of phantom pain pricked the back of his eye.

"I was doing _AP Testing_," Kiku explained in a weary tone.

"Oh…" Heracles trailed, pausing in his walk, his hand lightly gripping the banister. "No wonder you freaked out. Even the best students get a little shaken up during the testing process." The brunette frowned, peering at the floor below him. Kiku's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked, disbelieving.

Heracles nodded slowly, "Yeah… That's why on the first day for First Years- after the _AP Testing_- they're given the whole day to recuperate. Last year, the _Analyzer _actually broke when a student freaked out." Kiku earnestly grabbed that snippet of information. _That's… interesting_.

"What exactly happened?" the young man probed. Heracles lazily shrugged and adjusted his tie.

"I wasn't there to experience all the gory details, and I sincerely doubt the reliability of my sources, but apparently- there was this natural-born _AP _user, and in the middle of the _Analyzation_, he freaked and summoned his _AP_. Luckily, the _Analyzer's _wards prevented most of the power from utterly obliterating the basement and killing everyone, but it totally fried the system." He shuddered. "I can only imagine how much power his _AP _had to smash the _Analyzer_. Those devices are built specifically to prevent that from happening. They had to get a new one, or so I'm told."

Kiku's jaw dropped, "Do you know who it was?" he questioned. Heracles bobbed his head up and down, stifling another yawn.

"Yeah… it was-" he yawned "-Arthur Kirkland."

"What?" Kiku yelped, jerking backwards. Heracles turned around to stare at him, looking puzzled.

"Yeah, you know him or something?"

Kiku nodded, "Yes, he's my roommate," he replied, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his roommate nearly obliterated the entire school. Why wasn't that mentioned to him? "How come it wasn't mentioned to me when I arrived?" he queried as they resumed their trek up the steps.

"I dunno, must be a case of 'no harm, no foul', 'sides, all sorts of crazy shit happens here."

Kiku snorted, he casted a disparaging look to the side. _What else am I not being told? _he wondered.

"Anyways, my room is on the fifth floor- all the way up top, at the end of the hall. I think the people who assign dorms hate me or something 'cause I insisted on bringing my cat here." Heracles's rambling interrupted Kiku's train of thought. His head snapping back slightly, he shot the brunette an inquiring look.

"You can have pets here?"

Heracles _hrrmed_ thoughtfully, and gave the young male a slow nod. "Yeah, as long as they're small and relatively easy to keep. You can't bring any pet larger than a cat, and even then, you're supposed to keep them confined so they don't become a distraction," he replied as they reached the top of the staircase. The brunette pointed down the long corridor, "All they way down there."

Kiku, whose legs were practically on fire as he clambered up the last step, gave Heracles a look of pure horror.

**X-x-X-x-X**

Heracle's dorm was warm and comforting, even if it was a bit of a wreck. Slightly tattered books spilled from weathered wooden bookshelves and haphazard piles of paper were stacked on his desk. A dusty vase filled with lush ranunculus blossoms, the color of fresh paper, was perched on the window sills alongside an old, sun-faded photo. Napping on the slovenly made bed, was a gently-purring calico cat.

What stood out most to Kiku however, was the fact there was only one bed. "Don't you have a roommate?" he questioned. The brunette smiled faintly and plopped down on the bed next to his cat, scratching the feline behind her ears.

"I did, but he transferred out early. Since I'm in my final year here, they didn't bother to assign me a new roommate," he explained, scooping the cat up and placing her on his lap. The feline opened her eyes, revealing vivid blue eyes, and let out a sleepy yowl. Kiku stared at the cat with a certain amount of longing. Noticing him, Heracles tilted his head to the side and held his cat up.

"Do you want to hold her? She doesn't bite," he asked in a lightly teasing tone. Kiku's eyes widened.

"Really?"

Heracles nodded. Tentatively, Kiku stepped closer and took the cat from Heracles. "She's quite cute," Kiku remarked as he sat down next to the older brunette. Heracles chuckled.

"So I take it that you like cats?"

Kiku nodded, stroking the feline's forehead. "Yes, I do. I actually, like all sorts of small, cuddly creatures, but cats are among my favorites," he replied, enjoying the warmth that radiated from the calico.

Heracles grinned, "That's nice."

"What is her name?" Kiku inquired, turning his head slightly to meet the brunette's gaze. Much to his surprise, Heracles looked away- appearing rather sheepish- and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Captain Cat…" he mumbled.

Kiku deadpanned. "Seriously?"

Heracles widened his eyes. "Don't judge! I was eight at the time!" he shot back, looking rather embarrassed. Kiku chuckled and allowed a small smirk to cross his features.

"Ok, ok… I won't judge. I've done far stupider things in my life," he replied in a casual manner.

Heracles rubbed his forehead, struggling to keep the smile off his face. "Really? What?"

Kiku fell silent.

"Hmm?" Heracles worriedly stared at Kiku. The young man cleared his throat rather loudly and looked away from the brunette. His eyes landed on the old photo on the window sill. It depicted a lovely young couple with bright smiles standing in front of an ancient temple. They were wearing khaki excavation uniforms and the woman had Heracles's green eyes and tanned skin, while the man had Heracles's brown hair and broad shoulders.

"Are those your parents?" Kiku questioned, deliberately changing the topic.

Now it was Heracles's turn to look away.

"I'm sorry," Kiku hastily apologized, bowing his head. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Heracles sighed, propping his chin on his knuckle, and stared glumly at the photo. Kiku frowned, pursing his lips into a thin line.

"Yeah, they were my parents, but four years ago- when I was in my first year here- I received a letter along with this photo, stating they were killed on the dig when the ruins collapsed." He narrowed his eyes at the photo, "Those ruins in that photo is where they died."

"Oh…" Kiku trailed.

The brunette smiled- a sad and pitiful grin- and bent over to gently pat the cat on her head.

"My parents were killed when I was just six," Kiku blurted out before he could stop himself. Heracles froze. Kiku clapped both hands over his mouth, his eyes wide. _Did I just say that? _

"What happened?" Heracles probed.

Kiku grimaced, his face contorted with pain and looked at the snow-white flowers next to the photo. "It was an _Other _attack. There was a warning though, which is a lot more than you get in other cases. They had time to evacuate the children and the old people… but… after…" Kiku's words trailed into silence, he sniffled. A thick silence filled the room.

"I'm… sorry…" Heracles awkwardly said, breaking the tense silence. Mutely, Kiku bobbed his head up and down.

The bell rang, startling both of them.

Kiku sighed and stood up, straightening his uniform. "I better go now," he announced, handing the cat back to the brunette. Heracles nodded wordlessly and placed the feline back on the bed.

"Ok, good luck with your next class."

The ghost of a smile flitted across Kiku's face as the young man performed a polite bow. "Thank you," he said and left the room.

_My eye stopped hurting… That's good_, Kiku thought as he navigated his way down the stairs, through a rapidly-growing maze of bodies. _And… he was rather nice. At least he helped take my mind off of things a little. But if… _The young man clenched his teeth together. _My eye starts to hurt or bleed again… I should- but… I already missed too much of my first day, and it's not bothering me anymore. _He sighed and liberally massaged his temples. _If it bothers me again, then I'll go to the infirmary._

* * *

_Yay! Here is ch5 of break the Blade! I know a lot of PruPan shippers want to murder me right now, but I must ask… Can't Japan have good friends before he gets his waifu? *Pouts* I promise you, the Prupan will be good… If you can make it through a slow exposition. I also apologize if Japan seems slightly OOC. _

_I just have a really unique style of romance… I probably should've warned you beforehand. But, hey! Three reviews! I feel so motivated… *Crawls to woe corner* I'd never thought I'd ever see the day where I was happy to get 3 reviews for a chapter after I did well on Elsword. _

_Still, Japan now has a friend of sorts and we learn a little bit about some of the other characters! :D Yay for exposition!_

_*Shot*_

_Ok… I know it sucks, but if I don't build carefully… my story will become a mess later on. It will get pretty chaotic and complicated, even with the careful building- but that's a good thing. Exciting stories, ftw!_

_Anyways, here are reviewer replies!_

_Wanderingcourier- Heh, I didn't really think of that… but I should've… I mean, if I'm going with RPG references, I should milk it for all that it is worth, no? But I assure you… Japan is far from being overpowered… Wait until you see England, Russia, Prussia, Hungary, and omfg… Switzerland (Who could actually be accused of being OP… So could England… If he was an MMO character, he'd be the one continuously called out to the devs with the tagline "PLZ NERF!") Still, I'm glad you think this story continues to be good! _

_Rosamanelle- *Glomp* NELLE! :,DDDD SO NICE TO SEE CHU! X,D Yup… Be expecting more blood in future chapters… a LOT more blood X3 Thanks for pointing that out… Time to really ham up the Elsword reference now that you brought it to my attention. As for your theory… Somewhat close… but still… WAY off… *Whispers* It's even more complicated than that… NO! There's no such thing as enough rambling from you, Nelle! ;u; *Starts singing Baby Come Back and is brutally murdered* Good luck in China!_

_Tre Corde- You're beginning to really hit the nail on the head with Japan, kudos to you! :3 I know he's a bit angsty, but I assure you, you won't see him shouting or anything like that. Maybe getting a bit snappish or exasperated, but he won't get really, really angry. You are kind of over-thinking, or am I under-thinking? But yeah… RPG/ Anime-style ftw! XDD It might seem surreal and easy now, but believe me… It will be anything BUT, for our characters later on. And as for my typos… *Sigh* Spellcheck is secretly conspiring against me and my phobia of over-doing commas and semicolons has struck again! O3O Hopefully, my grammar is a little less spotty this chapter. And thanks for pointing those mistakes out! I'll take care of them when I get the chance! (I did go back to ch1 and fix the deal with the names as well, thanks again for pointing that out to me) _


	6. Are You Ok?

_Break the Blade:_

_Are You Ok?_

******X-x-X-x-X**

_"Hey, dude! You ok, there man?"_

******X-x-X-x-X**

With a feeble moan, Arthur's eyelids fluttered open.

Blinding white. The first impression that struck him in the face. White ceilings, off-white walls, and crisp linen the color of fresh snow. From a rather colorless chandelier, the white light of the crystal bulbs stung his eyes. Sheer curtains of white gossamer fluttered as a light breeze flitted through an open window.

The second thing Arthur instantly noticed was Arthur. The first-year was hovering over him, a look of concern etched on his youthful face. Arthur raised his head slightly, feeling too groggy to even scowl at the boy.

"Oi…"

Alfred cocked his head to the right. "Yeah?"

"What happened? I remember… I was in Runes… being harassed by that twat, Francis… then…" Arthur furrowed his brow, his two thick eyebrows coming together to form a unibrow. He shifted around a bit, holding his arm up. He frowned.

The _Amplifier _was missing.

"I didn't catch all the details… but like… You were coughing up blood and they dragged you down to the Infirmary-"

"I know that you bloody fool," Arthur snapped, clenching his hands into tight fists. Alfred huffed, pouting at the Brit.

"You don't have to be so rude! But yeah, apparently, when they brought you here, you were resisting. So, they had to knock you out."

Arthur groaned, placing a hand over his face. "Lovely… So how long was I out?"

Alfred shrugged and adjusted his glasses. Arthur stared at him, his familiar scowl creeping back onto his features. Seeing it, Alfred sighed. "Shame… you aren't quite as terrifying when you aren't scowling like a mobster."

The Brit snorted, propping himself upright, leaning his head against the headboard. "I sincerely hope, for your sake, that you are not implying that you watched me in my helpless state. For if you did, you are a bloody pervert, as bad as Francis, and you shall face my wrath," he hissed.

Alfred laughed and rubbed the back of his head, his blue eyes sparkling. "It's not like I watched them change you into your hospital gown. I was just keeping you company." He winked. "I was able to get out of Ms. Sieghart's class today, thanks to you."

Arthur deepened his scowl. _This boy, he's insufferable. _"I feel so used," he retorted, his tone laced with sardonicism. Alfred, being the type of person he was, just broadened his smile, placing a hand on the Brit's shoulder.

"But, there was some serious concern. They had to confiscate your _Amplifier_. I overheard Dahlia talking to some of the other researchers about the mess while I was sitting here. Apparently, it reacted to something with the same aura as your _AP_." He shook his head, giving Arthur a dubious look. "You don't have a twin brother or something similar, do you?"

Arthur snorted and gave his roommate an exasperated look. "I don't, and even if I did… There is no humanly way possible that there is something out there with my aura. It is _my _aura," he snipped, placing a heavy emphasis on the "my".

Alfred continued to give Arthur a weird look. "Yeah… but…"

Arthur clenched his teeth together. "What?"

The first-year sighed and shook his head. "It's too weird. _Amplifiers _normally don't start frying a person's body for no reason."

Arthur let out a humorless laugh. "So, I suppose it got disposed of then? It's a bloody good thing that I'm a natural _AP _summoner, or you guys would have to fight without me against Silesia on Friday."

Alfred let out a feeble laugh. "Yeah…" he trailed nervously, diverting his gaze out the window.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. On anyone else, it would be a fearsome expression, but on him, it was positively murderous. "What was that 'yeah...' for?"

Alfred grimaced. "They're not releasing you by Friday, bro. They want to keep you for observation until next week."

Arthur's jaw dropped. "WHAT?" he thundered.

The first-year shrugged. "Not my choice, man. We need all the manpower if we hope to defeat Silesia. Those guys are a beast… Not to mention, Vash is stupidly OP." He snorted. "Mods, please nerf _Neutrality Zone_."

"Ack!" Arthur cried, grabbing fistfuls of his natty, golden-blonde hair. "And it's not like I have a powerful _AP_." A rapid train of colorful words spewed from his mouth in a torrential outpour.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Don't rub it in, the rest of us aren't weak either. 'Sides, fat lot of good your _AP _does against Vash's _Neutrality Zone_. He pretty much shuts down everyone's _AP _with that attack."

Arthur sighed.

"And, you're _AP _sucks for speed. Like really, two minutes to cast a spell?" Alfred gave Arthur a serious look. "I don't care if it's a mega-powerful laser beam capable of obliterating the school. I don't care if it's an instant-death spell! Two minutes in the real deal, and you're good as dead!"

Arthur smirked, shooting the first-year a devious look. "Is that… concern I hear in your voice, perchance?"

Alfred looked upon the Brit with a disparaging shake of his head. "Frustration more like. I feel bad for anyone who is stuck with you once we all graduate. They're going to be carrying you back to base in a shroud, on the first day."

Arthur chortled darkly and folded his arms. "That's why meatshields like you exist," he snarked.

"But I'm a _Gunner_," retorted Alfred in a pained voice. "I'm not a _Guard _class, nor am I a _Blader _class." Arthur waved him off with a dismissive hand gesture.

"You're a close-combat _Gunner_- the biggest oxymoron if you ask me."

Alfred made a face, sticking his tongue out at the Brit. "That's why no one _does _ask you," he rejoined. Arthur rolled his eyes and placed his hands behind his head, raising his gaze to the ceiling. A lone Daddy Long Legs waited in the corner, perched on his ultra-fine web of silken threads.

"Anyways, Artie-"

"Don't call me that," Arthur snapped, shooting the first-year a barbed look. Alfred flexed his shoulders lazily, brushing off the Brit's scolding.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he drawled, "I'm gonna be heading off to Science now." Arthur absentmindedly nodded his head.

"That would be well. I _highly _doubt that you can afford to miss too many classes. Considering how your grades are," quipped the Brit. A subtle red rouged the first-year's cheeks.

"Whatever you ass," mumbled Alfred. "I'm leaving," he mumbled, looking away from Arthur, who smirked, wiggling his fingers in an overly-cheery "goodbye".

"Cheerio."

The first-year left the Infirmary, his face in a pout and arms crossed.

Heaving a loud sigh, Arthur slumped down in his bed, the gears of his mind whirring rapidly.

_Hey! _a sugary-sweet voice chirruped. The air shimmered, revealing a familiar face. The Brit perked up, a smile struggling to break through his perpetual frown.

"Oh! It's you!" Arthur greeted enthusiastically. A winged, mint-green bunny with grass-green eyes winged its way over to him, plopping itself down on his lap.

The bunny's voice echoed in his mind: _I'm glad he left! I wanted to talk with you! The others were really worried and we wanted to know how you were feeling, but I didn't want to interrupt your conversation! _

Arthur smiled wryly, petting the bunny on its head. "You wouldn't be disrupting anything terribly important, for the most part." The bunny looked up at him, its gaze oddly intense for a creature so small.

_But there was some important information there, right? The strangeness with the Amplifier… _

Arthur frowned, placing a finger on his chin. "That is mighty odd," he agreed. The bunny nodded, stretching its wings. "What about the others?" he enquired, changing the topic. "Are they here?"

If a bunny could grimace, this one certainly would. _They are, but they're too afraid to come out now. _

Arthur's eyes widened. "Why is that?" His voice was a hushed whisper, dashed with equal parts confusion, surprise, and horror.

_When your Amplifier went berserk, something- more like- someone, within this building stirred. _

Arthur gasped, he clutched the bedding, his knucklebones turning white. "Was the presence malicious?"

_I couldn't really tell… _the bunny replied honestly, its expression downcast. _I don't think it's an inherently malevolent presence, but it's extremely old and powerful. What's even funnier… _

"What?" whispered Arthur.

_Uni couldn't read or identify the presence, which is extraordinarily unusual. They- whoever it was- shut her out as easily as Alfred could eat a Mctalia's cheeseburger. _

Arthur snorted, shaking his head. "In other words, effortlessly," he muttered darkly. The bunny hummed, unconsciously flexing its wings up and down. "Perhaps, that presence was responsible for my _Amplifier _going all batshit insane on me." Much to the Brit's amazement, the bunny shook its head in vigorous disagreement.

_No, we weren't aware of that, because of the strange presence. _

Arthur's jaw dropped, strange noises coming out of his mouth.

_I overheard your conversation with Alfred, and we didn't notice any aura that was the same as yours. This presence was similar, but not the exact same- _

"But, Alfred said that the Researchers had pinpointed the problem to be an aura the exact-"

_Look_, the bunny cut in, rather impatiently, _we were distracted by the presence. Something strange is going on in this school. Did I mention that Tinkerbell had a strange vision the other day? _

Arthur narrowed his eyes, "No," he snapped curtly. "You didn't. Why not?" The bunny cocked its head to the side.

_Slipped my mind, my apologies. _The Brit sighed, liberally rubbing his forehead. That was very much like the little flying mint bunny. It was a great friend and a decent informant, save for the creature's forgetful tendencies and its habit of missing the small details. In a way, the bunny was reminiscent of Alfred.

Arthur smiled faintly at the thought. "Well then," he sighed, pretending to be annoyed, "what was it?"

_Do you know Feliciano Vargas?_

Arthur stared at the bunny with a healthy amount of disbelief. "I've heard of him. He's in Ludwig's Unit- why?"

The bunny paused, seemingly hesitant. Gingerly, Arthur poked it in the back of its head, urging it to continue.

_In the vision Tinkerbell had… Feliciano was lying in a pool of blood. Dead. And strangely enough… he seemed to have killed himself._

* * *

_And I'm going to be a troll and shut the chapter off there! :D Cliffhangers… Don't you love 'em? *Shot* I hope you appreciated the faint, barely perceptible USUK and the mildly fast update as well! :D __There wasn't a whole lot of action, but plenty of build-up. As you can tell… Shet will be hitting the fan sometime soon (Like, in ten chapters because I'm so hopelessly slow-paced XDD) … _

_I also want to give a story shout-out to En Ma Fin by cassandraHawkeyechekov because it's a beautiful Heta Fic that doesn't have nearly enough reviews or favorites for such an interesting plot or solid and descriptive writing! It does have it's faults, but all our stories have flaws, and the pros of her stories far outweigh whatever weaknesses are in her story! So yeah... check it out! _

_Also, as a warning… I'm an evil author, fueled by death, blood, and feelz. Just a heads-up. But truly… 5 reviewers, and 6 reviews for my last chapter? *Cries tears of joy* I hope this chapter wasn't too much suck! QwQ I tend to go up and down when writing. I just like, vomit words until I reach a point where I've written a decent amount according to update wait… so… Yeah… explains the somewhat short chapter this time. I'm also sort of looking into writing this Cardverse/ Steampunk Hetalia AU based mildly off this book called "The Girl In the Steel Corset" and while it wasn't the best book, and the beginning was a bit… blegh… to me, it got much better as the story continued and the plot was a bit predictable, but I really loved the concept and some of the characters were quite solid…. Eh heh… enough rambling from me! On to reviewer replies! :DD_

_Aquanova dragon- Awww… Thank you! O/O You're really sweet! Eh heh… To be honest with you… I haven't even scratched the surface of the epicness that will be going down in this story in the later chapters! As for my permission, I already gave it to you… but you always have my permission, so long as you credit the story to me!_

_Tre Corde- You know how fangirls can get… (They're terrifying) but yes… Friends are amazing! And nope! It's not a coincidence! Something did happen, but I'm not going to say it yet… 'cause it's like… the biggest plot-twist in the whole story and the reason as to why this story is such a chaotic mess… Trust me… it's beautiful… If having your mind epically screwed-over is your favorite thing XD I have no problem with criticism, as long as it's constructive, I'll graciously accept it! You'll never get better if you don't know what you did wrong! _

_penagih pelukan- Really? Thank you! I'm glad my slow story is managing to be interesting at least!_

_Ventus-Ri- And all the Prupan shippers start to come out of the woodwork! Let's build our following so that way, whenever we type "Prupan" into Google, it doesn't say… "do you mean prucan?" (It really does happen) I'll admit… I have a bad track record with that stuff… But I promise I'll continue writing as long as I have loyal and supportive people helping me out every step of the way! But… even though I'm guilty of it… I do feel your pain. X,D Thanks once again! *Whispers* Yes… the number of Prupan fics on here is… pathetically small to say the least._

_Rosamanelle- Naah… You're just on time Nelle… Nice to see you before you go off to China… Make sure to get a panda for me, k? X3 Japan… he's not unathletic like England or Austria, he just kind of had his mind fried and that sort of stuff going on… and England… oh boy… I can't say ANYTHING about him… Because if I did… I'd just have to hand you my story outline and say… "this is what happens." Even you'll be surprised, 'nuff said. And well… You hit a nail by throwing a hammer… but i'm not saying… which nail you hit..._


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